Log gaining machine



March 29, 1955 D. FowLER 2,705,031

Los GAINING MACHINE Filed April 16. 1954 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVEN TOR. onw's Fowl. E8

BY A. j /n/o March 29, 1955 D. FowLER 2,705,031

Los GAINING MACHINE Filed April 16, 1954 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 l JNVENToR.0,4 v/.s Fo w1. se BY United States Patent O 2,705,031 LOG GAININGMACHINE Davis Fowler, Anchorage, Territory of Alaska Application April16, 1954, Serial No. 423,800 6 Claims. (Cl. 144--133) This inventionrelates to improvements in gaining machines, and more particularly to anovel and improved machine of this kind which is devised especially butnot exclusively for cutting notches in logs,'of different and nonuniformdiameters, such as are used in the construction of spruce log cesspoolsor seepage pots employed for the drainage of sewage, and for other uses.

The primary object of the invention is to provide an efficient,reliable, and easily operated machine of the character indicated abovewhich is readily and quickly adjustable to accommodate logs of differentuniform diameters and logs of different non-uniform diameters or tapers,so that notches of appropriate depths will be cut at points spaced alongsuch logs to accommodate cross-logs and support the cross-logs levelwith respect thereto when engaged in the notches so cut.

Another important object of the invention is to provide a machine of thecharacter indicated above which is of simplified and more ruggedconstruction and is composed of a minimum number of simple parts, sothat the machine is capable of being made at relatively low cost andoperated with a minimum of trouble and expense for the maintenancethereof.

Other important objects and advantageous features of the invention willbe apparent from the following description and the accompanyingdrawings, wherein, for purposes of illustration rather than limitation,a specific embodiment of the invention is set forth in detail.

In the drawings:

Figure l is a top plan View;

Figure 2 is a side elevation, showing in phantom lines an adjustedportion of the carriage frame;

Figure 3 is a front end elevation;

Figure 4 is a vertical longitudinal section taken on the line 4 4 ofFigure 3; and

Figure 5 is a fragmentary perspective and exploded View showing therelation of crossed logs notched in accordance with the presentinvention.

Referring in detail to the drawings, wherein like nu merals designatelike parts throughout the several views, the illustrated machine, whichis generally designated 7, comprises a frame 8, which is adapted to restupon a floor or other support (not shown).

The frame 8, which is preferably made principally of wood, comprisesforwardly and rearwardly spaced lower cross members 9 and 10, front andrear inner uprights 11 and 12, rising from the lower cross members 9 and10, respectively. Short longitudinal members 13 and 14 rest upon and aresuitably secured to the upper ends of the uprights l1 and 12 at eachside of the frame.

Resting upon and suitably secured to the longitudinal members 13 and 14are forwardly and rearwardly spaced upper front and rear cross members15 and 16, respectively, each of which may be composed of twosuperimposed planks. The upper cross members 1S and 16 extend laterallyoutwardly beyond the inner uprights 11 and 12, as do the lower crossmembers 9 and 10, and outer uprights 17 and 18, spaced laterallyoutwardly from the inner uprights 11 and 12, rise from the outer ends ofthe lower cross members 9 and 10 and supportably engage the upper crossmembers 15 and 16. Diagonal braces 19 and 20 extend from the inneruprights 11 and 12 to the lower cross members 9 and 10 near the outeruprights 17 and 18.

Preferably metal channel bars 21, 21 are secured to and extend forwardlyfrom the front lower cross member 9 in line with the laterally inwardsides of the inner uprights 11, and have sets of intersecting diagonalgrooves 22, 22 on their upper sides, which serve as detent racks.

A pivot bar or bolt 23 extends through upper end portions of the rearinner uprights 12, 12 and has nuts 24 on its outer ends bearing againstthe laterally outward sides of the rear inner uprights 12, 12.

2,705,031 Patented Mar. 29, 1955 ICC A log carriage frame 25 compriseslongitudinal ilexible angle iron side bars on rails 26, 26 which arepivoted at their rear ends on the pivot bar 23 close to the laterallyinward sides of the rear inner uprights 12, 12. The frame side bars 26,26 have forward ends 27, 27 which react forwardly beyond the detent bars21, 21, and carriage stop fingers 28, 28 rise at the forward ends 27, 27of the side bars 26, 26, from the horizontal inwardly directed flanges29, 29 of the side bars..

Flexible diagonal brace bars 30, 30 are crossed, and their front andrear ends are secured by suitable means to front and rear end portionsof the horizontal flanges 29, 29 of the side bars 26, 26.

A log carriage 31 which is manually rollable forwardly and rearwardly onthe frame 25, comprises short, facing angle iron side bars 32, 32secured together in rigidly spaced relation by front and rear cross rods33 and 34, respectively, preferably welded,I as indicated at 35 to thehorizontal anges 36, 36 of the side bars 32, 32. A brace bar 37 is fixedto and extends between the cross rods 33 and 34 at their midpoints.

The vertical flanges 38, 38 of the side: bars 32, 32 are spacedlaterally inwardly from the vertical anges 39, 39 of the carriage frameside bars 26, 26, and roller axles 40, 40 traverse the vertical flanges38, 380i the carriage side bars 32, 32 and have thereon grooved rollers41, 41 which ride on the vertical flanges 39, 39 of the carriage frameside bars 26, 26.

The vertical anges 38, 38 of the carriage side bars 32, 32 are formed intheir upper edges with log cradling V-shaped notches 42, 42.

A carriage frame supporting leg 43 depends from a forward end portion ofeach carriage frame side bar 26. Each leg 43 comprises a web 44 which ispivoted, as indicated at 45, to the outward side of the vertical flange39 of the related carriage frame side bar 26, and a rod 46 which dependsfrom the web 44 and terminates at its lower end in a forwardly anddownwardly directed point 47 which is selectively engageable with thedetent grooves 22 on the related one of the detent bars 21, 2l. lt isobvious that when both of the leg points 47 are moved to rearward pointson the detent bars 21, 21, the carriage frame 25 will be depressedforwardly and downwardly in a level position, so as to provide for theshallow notching of a small diameter log; and forward positioning ofboth of the legs 43, 43 along the detent bars will position a largerdiameter log on the carriage 31 at a higher elevation for deepernotching,

Longitudinal cutter shafts 48, 48 are journaled in forward and rearbearings 49 and 50, respectively, which are bolted, as indicated at 51and 52, respectively, on the tops of the upper cross members 15 and 16,respectively, near their outer ends. The shafts 48, 48 have belt pulleys53, 53 on their rearward ends, and hole saw cutters 54, 54 on theirforward ends.

To the rear of the machine frame 8 is positioned an engine support 55which may comprise a platform 56 mounted on standards 57, 57 which restupon longitudinal members 58, 58 which are secured by suitable means attheir forward ends to the rear lower cross member 10.

An engine or motor 59 of suitable type, such as a gasoline engine, ismounted on the platform 56 and includes a forwardly projecting clutchhousing 60 from which projects a driven shaft 61 having front and rearpulleys 62 and 63, respectively thereon. A belt 64 is trained over oneof the cutter shaft pulleys 53 and the front pulley 62, and another belt65, which is twisted to make the cutter shafts 48, 48 run in the samedirection, is trained over the rear pulley 63 and the pulley of theother cutter shaft 48.

A clutch lever 66 is operatively mounted on the outside of the clutchhousing 60 and is pivoted at its upper end, as indicated at 67, to therear end of a link bar 68 which extends forwardly above the upper crossmembers 15 and 16, and is pivoted at its forward end, as indicated at69, to a manual operating lever 70 which is pivoted at its lower end, asindicated at 71, to the front upper cross member 15. Operation of thehand lever 70 in opposite directions connects and disconnects the cuttershafts 48, 48 from the engine 59.

In a double log notching operation, a log 72 is placed in the notches42, 42 of the carriage 31 and the carriage frame legs 43, 43 adjustedalong the detent bars 21, 21 in accordance with the diameter of 'thelog. If the log is of uniform diameter both legs 21, 21 are adjusted thesame amount. However, if the log is tapered or otherwise of non-uniformdiameter, the legs 43, 43 are adjusted to different positions on thedetent bars 21, 21, s that the carriage frame 25, and hence the carriage31 is canted crosswise of the machine, rather than level, so as tocompensate for the different diameters of Ithe portions of such a logwhich are to be presented to the cutters 54, 54. The flexibility of thecarriage frame 25 provides for this canting of the carriage frame 25. Asa result, a deep notch 73 will be cut in the thicker part of the log anda shallower notch in the thinner part of the log.

A guide plate 75 may be secured to one end of the front and rear uppercross members 15 and 16 and extend forwardly therefrom along the outerside of one of the cutters 54, against which one end of a log on thecarriage 31 may be guidingly engaged, as the carriage 31 is movedrearwardly to engage the log with the cutters 54, 54, so as to assureaccurate positioning of the resultant notches along the log.

What is claimed is:

1. In a log gaining machine, a machine frame, spaced parallel cuttershafts journaled on said machine frame, motor means connected to acorresponding end of each of said shafts, rotary cutters on -the otherends of the cuttershafts, a carriage frame pivoted at one end thereof tosaid machine frame to swing on an axis parallel to a plane in which thecutter shafts lie, said carriage frame having its other end spacedlongitudinally outwardly from said cutters, said carriage frame havingsiderails, a log carriage having rollers riding upon said siderails andenabling movement of said carriage along the carriage toward and awayfrom said cutters, and pivoted leg means depending from said outer endof the carriage frarie for supporting the carriage frame at a desiredang e.

2. In a log gaining machine, a machine frame, spaced parallel cuttershafts journaled on said machine frame, motor means connected to acorresponding end of each of said shafts, rotary cutters on the otherends of the cutter shafts, a carriage frame pivoted at one end thereofto said machine frame to swing on an axis parallel to a plane in whichthe cutter shafts lie, said carriage frame having its other end spacedlongitudinally outwardly from said cutters, said carriage frame havingsiderails, a log carriage having rollers riding upon said siderails andenabling movement of said carriage along the carriage toward and awayfrom said cutters, pivoted leg means depending from said outer end ofthe carriage frame for supporting the carriage frame at a desired angle,and detent bars on said frame having longitudinal rack surfaces, saidmeans being pivoted on the carriage frame and having free endsengageable with selected points along the rack surfaces for supportingthe carriage frame at selected angles relative to the cutter shafts.

3. In a log gaining machine, a machine frame, spaced parallel cuttershafts journaled on said machine frame, motor means connected to acorresponding end of each of said shafts, rotary cutters on the otherends of the cutter shafts, a carriage frame pivoted at one end thereofto said machine frame to swing on an axis parallel to a plane in whichthe cutter shafts lie, said carriage frame having its other end spacedlongitudinally outwardly from said cutters, said carriage frame havingsiderails, a log carriage having rollers riding upon said siderails andenabling movement of said carriage along the carriage 'toward and awayfrom said cutters, pivoted leg means depending from said outer end ofthe carriage frame for supporting the carriage frame at a desired angle,and detent bars on said frame having longitudinal rack surfaces, saidleg means being pivoted on the carriage frame and having free endsengageable with selected points along the rack surfaces for supportingthe carriage frame at selected angles relative to the cutter shafts,said carriage frame being flexible, and said leg means comprising a pairof legs which are individually adjustable to different points along therack surfaces of the detent bars to impart a desired cant to thecarriage frame crosswise of the machine frame.

4. In a log gaining machine, a machine frame including a horizontalupper part, a pair of laterally spaced parallel and horizontal cuttershafts journaled on said horizontal upper part of the machine frame,said cutter shafts having forward ends and rear ends, motor meansoperatively connected to said rear ends of the cutter shafts, rotarycutters on the forward ends of the cutter shafts, a carriage framehaving a rear end pivoted on said machine frame below and between saidcutter shafts to swing on a horizontal axis extending crosswise of themachine frame at a point near the rear ends of the cutter shafts, saidcarriage frame including siderails and a forward end, said forward endof the carriage frame extending forwardly of the cutters, a log carriagehaving grooved rollers riding on the carriage siderails so as to bemovable to carry a log on the carriage toward and away from engagementwith said cutters, and pivoted leg means depending from the forward endof said carriage frame.

5. In a log gaining machine, a machine frame including a horizontalupper part, a pair of laterally spaced parallel and horizontal cuttershafts journaled on said horizontal upper part of the machine frame,said cutter shafts having forward ends and rear ends, motor meansoperatively connected to said rear ends of the cutter shafts, rotarycutters on the forward ends of the cutter shafts, a carriage framehaving a rear end pivoted on said machine frame below and between saidcutter shafts to swing on a horizontal axis extending crosswise of themachine frame at a point near the rear ends of the cutter shafts, saidcarriage frame including siderails and forward end, said forward end ofIthe carriage frame extending forwardly of the cutters, a log carriagehaving grooved rollers riding on the carriage siderails so as to bemovable to carry a log on the carriage toward and away from engagementwith said cutters, and pivoted leg means depending from the forward endof said carriage frame, said leg means comprising legs having upper endspivoted lto related ones of the carriage frame side rails and lowerends, the lower ends of the legs terminating in points, and detent meanson the frame below the carriage having longitudinal rack surfaces, thepoints of the legs being selectively engageable with different pointsalong the rack surfaces so as to determine the angularity of thecarriage frame relative to the machine frame and the elevation of thelog carriage rela-tive to said cutters.

6. In a log gaining machine, a machine frame including a horizontalupper part, a pair of laterally spaced parallel and horizontal cuttershafts journaled on said horizontal upper part of the machine frame,said cutter shafts having forward ends and rear ends, motor meansoperatively connected to said rear ends of the cutter shafts, rotarycutters on the forward ends of the cutter shafts, a carriage framehaving a rear end pivoted on said machine frame below and between saidcutter shafts to swlng on a horizontal axis extending crosswise of themachine frame at a point near the rear ends of the cutter shafts, saidcarriage frame including siderails and a forward end, said forward endof the carriage frame extending forwardly of the cutters, a log carriagehaving grooved rollers riding on the carriage siderails so as to bemovable to carry a log on the carriage toward and away from engagementwith said cutters, and pivoted leg means depending from the forward endof said carriage frame, said leg means comprising legs having upper endsplvoted to related ones of the carriage frame side rails and lower ends,the lower ends of the legs terminating 1n points, and detent means onthe frame below Athe carnage having longitudinal rack surfaces, thepoints of the legs being selectively engageable with different pointsalong the rack surfaces so as to determine the angularity of thecarriage frame relative to the machine frame and the elevation of thelog carriage relative to said cutters, said carriage frame beingflexible and said leg points being individually engageable with selectedpoints along the racksurfaces so as to produce a desired cant of saidcarnage frame crosswise of the machine frame.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS2,520,457 Cook Aug. 29, 1950 FOREIGN PATENTS 278,966 Great Britain Oct.20, 1927

